Previous
Jonas
The antagonist of the novel, Trademaster isn’t human. Rather, he’s “pure evil” in a human form. He takes the form of a tall, sallow man who wears a sharp black suit, silk gloves, and a cloak. He offers people trades, but people must magically trade their “true selves” to him. This leads to widespread chaos wherever he goes, as he can then make people mean or dishonest, or he can take away things like their health or energy. He’s framed as a corrupting force, and as such, the village banished him seven years before the novel’s third part takes place. Since he took Claire’s youth in exchange for reuniting her with Gabe, though, he returns to the village in time to watch her die. However, by empathizing with Trademaster and by drawing on the support of his friends, Gabe is able to vanquish Trademaster forever and bury the remains.
Trademaster Quotes in Son
The Son quotes below are all either spoken by Trademaster or refer to Trademaster. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Book 2, Chapter 16 Quotes
“I have a son,” she said. “I want to find my son.”
“A son! How sweet. Maternal love is such a delicious trait. So you don’t want riches, or romance, but simply... your son?” The way he said the word, hissing it, sneering it, made her feel sick.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Having climbed the cliff, Claire is now telling Trademaster what she wants (to find her son). He mocks her for this desire. This aligns Trademaster, in a way, with the people in Claire’s original community who didn’t think emotions, even positive ones like love, were worth feeling. Trademaster, of course, only has an opinion on the emotion because he can use it to manipulate Claire and ultimately steal her youth, but as Gabe’s veering shows later, Trademaster doesn’t have any use for positive emotions like love or compassion. Instead, love is either inconsequential or a danger to him, just as Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia
Book 3, Chapter 4 Quotes
Shaken by the death of a boy they had loved, each person had found ways to be more worthy of the sacrifice he had made. They had become kinder, more careful, more attentive to one another. They had worked hard to eradicate customs that had begun to corrupt their society, banning even seemingly benign diversions such as a gaming machine, a simple gambling device that spit out candy to its winners.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The narrative has stepped back in time to describe how, seven years before the novel’s third part takes place, a boy named Matty sacrificed himself to banish evil (Trademaster) and help the village become a safe haven for everyone again. In this passage, the novel makes the series’ vaguely Christian overtones more overt, as Matty sacrificed himself in a very Jesus-like way for the good of his fellow villagers. And his memory continues to motivate people in the village to make good, kind choices and to care for one another. Generally speaking, though, this passage (and the novel as a Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum volup
Book 3, Chapter 7 Quotes
All that work. The weeks and weeks of planning, of building, of hoping. And all he could say now was that the paddle worked well. Gabe felt it all slipping away: his dream of returning, of finding his mother, of becoming part of something he had yearned for all his life.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Gabe has just taken his boat on a disastrous practice voyage; his friends had to rescue him from the river when the boat began to sink. Now, Gabe is embarrassed and upset, as he believes he can never return to his original community and reunite with his mother. This passage makes it very explicit that Gabe believes he’s going to figure out who he is and come of age once he returns to his original community and reunite with his mother. Readers know that this is an incorrect assumption on multiple levels (it’s unclear what the community would do with Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantiu
Book 3, Chapter 10 Quotes
“Evil can do anything, Gabe,” Mentor said, “for a price.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Mentor explains to an incredulous Gabe the trade he made with Trademaster years ago: he traded his honor away so he could be more physically attractive to his crush. Within the world of the novel, Trademaster is inhuman and is instead pure evil in human form, which allows him to facilitate such fantastical trades. Outside of this fantastical world, though, this suggests that it's possible to do almost anything—if one is willing to give up the best, kindest, most compassionate parts of themselves and instead gives in to greed or selfishness. Throughout the novel, the three parts show various ways Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Si
Book 3, Chapter 11 Quotes
It was dark when Gabe stood at the water’s edge, alone. He had begged Jonas to come with him. But Jonas had said no.
“Years ago, Gabe, when I took you and ran away, there was a man I loved and left behind. I wanted him to come with me but he said no.
“He was right to refuse. It was my journey and I had to do it without help. I had to find my own strengths, face my own fears. And now you must.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
As Gabe prepares to cross the river, he thinks about what Jonas said when he refused to join Gabe and help him fight Trademaster. Jonas refers to events in The Giver here and to the Giver himself (the man Jonas loved and left). Jonas proposes that a normal and expected part of growing up and coming of age means striking out on one’s own, as he did when he ran away with baby Gabe. This hasn’t really been the case in any of the settlements the novel portrays, as nobody leaves the first or second settlements and nobody really wants Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa.
He repeated them, like a chant. He loosened the paddle from there it was wedged. With his fingers he could feel the carved names in the smooth wet wood: Tarik. Simon. Nathaniel. Stefan. Jonas. Though she had not carved her name, he added Kira in his mind. Then little Matthew, and Annabelle. Finally he said his mother’s name—Claire—aloud, adding it to the list of those who cared about him. He shouted it—“Claire!”—into the night, begging her to live. Holding tightly to the paddle, he began to kick his way easily across the gently flowing water in the moonlight.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
As Gabe crosses the river, he repeats that he can’t kill another person. He also repeats his friends’ names, which are carved into the paddle’s handle. This magically calms the natural world and allows Gabe to easily cross the normally dangerous river. This symbolically speaks to the power of community, love, and support. When Gabe feels like he’s on his own with no one to help him, he’s powerless to fight the rushing river. But when he practices compassion and kindness (insisting he can’t take another person’s life) and expresses gratitude for all the people who “cared about him” (his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a.
Book 3, Chapter 12 Quotes
Frantically he tried again to remember what Jonas had told him. Use your gift. That was it. Use your gift!
He was very frightened, but looking directly at Trademaster, he concentrated and willed himself to veer.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
While confronting Trademaster, Gabe finally remembers Jonas’s advice to use his gift and decides to veer into Trademaster. By doing so, Gabe hopes to uncover something he can use to vanquish the villain. It’s telling that to defeat Trademaster, an incarnation of evil, Gabe must simply empathize with him. By getting into Trademaster’s mind and understanding what it’s like to be so greedy, selfish, and interested in causing suffering, Gabe is able to deprive Trademaster of what nourishes him: essentially, the knowledge that he’s ruining people’s lives. Through doing this, Gabe manages to save not just his own community, but Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam offi
Get the entire Son LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Trademaster Character Timeline in Son
The timeline below shows where the character Trademaster appears in Son. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Book 2, Chapter 16
...Einar said will come. Claire must say yes to the man (later revealed to be Trademaster), who comes to offer help to those who need it. If she says no, she’ll...
(full context)
...spends the night curled up asleep at the edge of the cliff. She wakes to Trademaster touching her arm. He isn’t what Claire expected: he’s thin, sallow, and dressed in an...
(full context)
Trademaster asks Claire for her son’s name. She isn’t sure, but she says it might be...
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 4
...to be kinder and more open. Jonas had, in the wake of Matty’s death, banished Trademaster, an evil man who seemed to corrupt the village.
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 5
...if they knew? Deciding not to burden him, Claire kept quiet and realized how cruel Trademaster’s deal had been. She’s spent the last few years watching Gabe grow up. Now, she...
(full context)
...is nearby, supervising her toddlers. Claire realizes that had she not made the deal with Trademaster, she’d be like these young women. She might be back with Einar. But then she...
(full context)
...a young woman who can mother Gabe. She doesn’t regret her trade, but she knows Trademaster played a “hideous joke” on them both. As night falls and the music begins, Claire...
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 6
...feels “invigorat[ing]” to tell someone her story. Finally, she describes her climb—and her deal with Trademaster. Jonas puts his head in his hands and explains that they banished Trademaster long ago,...
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 8
...and curious about it. Jonas explains that Trade Mart seemed innocuous, but it was scary. Trademaster would appear in the village and invite people to “make trades.” So, for instance, Gabe...
(full context)
...gift. Now, Jonas says, he’s going to use his gift one more time to locate Trademaster. Then, Gabe will destroy him. Gabe argues that Trademaster doesn’t have anything to do with...
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 9
...direction of Claire’s house. As he jogs, he can’t fathom that he has to kill Trademaster, whoever that is. He’s not bothering anyone here right now, so it’d be better to...
(full context)
...Jonas could think this is more important than what he and Gabe were discussing about Trademaster. Jonas shushes Gabe and leans forward when Claire’s lips move. She tells Jonas to “Tell...
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 10
...of that, but he doesn’t believe this particular old woman is his mother or that Trademaster can do what Jonas says he can.
(full context)
...Mentor, and the man winces when Jonas explains that he’s trying to convince Gabe that Trademaster’s powers exist. Grudgingly, Mentor tells Gabe about the trade he made. He says he was...
(full context)
...the evil, everyone else survived and they were able to heal the corruption. They banished Trademaster. When Mentor realizes Trademaster is back and that Gabe is going to go fight him...
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 11
...her pulse. She’s still alive, so Jonas says he’s going to “look beyond” to find Trademaster. Gabe sits with Claire while Jonas groans, gasps, and shimmers. A few minutes later, Jonas...
(full context)
...side. The river suddenly seems less welcoming than ever. He thinks of Jonas saying that Trademaster is likely back because he gains satisfaction from seeing the trauma he causes play out....
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 12
...and afraid: he expected to have some time to prepare for this. His eyes glittering, Trademaster says it’s so lovely to have someone seek him out for once. As Gabe holds...
(full context)
...at Claire’s cottage. Earlier, when Jonas looked beyond, he saw (but didn’t tell Gabe) that Trademaster was waiting for Gabe. But Gabe has always been tenacious, and it’s always been clear...
(full context)
Back on the riverbank, Gabe touches the names carved into his paddle and feels calmer. Trademaster, though, angrily pulls a knife out of his cloak and tosses it to Gabe. Gabe...
(full context)
...Nodding off, Jonas doesn’t see Claire’s body continue to grow younger. Back on the riverbank, Trademaster offers Gabe a boat. Gabe isn’t interested, even when Trademaster offers to throw in sun...
(full context)
Book 3, Chapter 13
Everything goes silent as Gabe veers into Trademaster. He senses pain, hatred, and rage, and these emotions are “strong enough to destroy one...
(full context)
Gabe finds hunger, even starvation, in Trademaster. Remembering that Trademaster is “nourish[ed]” by seeing how his trades hurt people, Gabe realizes that...
(full context)
